Means for hooping railway sleepers



April 8, 1952 A. P. sTRElT ET Al. 2,592,077

MEANS FOR HOOPING RAILWAY SI..EEPERSl Filed Aug. 9' 1945 Patented Apr. 8, 17952 MEANS FOR HOOPING RAILWAY SLEEPERS Albert Paul Streit and Michel Jacques Max Streit, Cachan, France; Michel J. M. Streit temporary administrator of the estate of Albert Paul Streit, deceased Application August 9, 1945, serial No. 609,849 In France February 2, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires February 2, 1963 7 Claims.

It is common practice to hoop railway sleepers or ties for the purpose of strengthening them, when by reason of weather, wood has played and shows cracks or clefts liable to endanger its resistance, duration and capability of well holding the screws.

Up to this time, sleeper hoops have generally been constituted by iron or like strips which are relatively expensive and dificult'to obtain when raw material becomes rare. Endeavours have lately been made to substitute round wire therefor the latter being more convenient as stresses are better distributed through its cross-section, a round wire offers for the same cross-section a smaller area exposed to oxidization and it retains less moisture, but large dimculties have been experienced by reason of the very circular crosssection which is badly t for bending.

If a wire of relatively small diameter is used, it

is necessary, for obtaining the required hooping strength, to coil it twice round the sleeper, but it is then practically impossible to tension the hoop as far as desirable. Should the wire have a cross-section large enough for use as a single hoop, it is diilicult to bend it and cause it 4to nt tightly around the sleeper; moreover, the lack of flexibility of the wire and its cold-drawing as a result of traction almost always cause its breaking when its ends are twisted together in so far as it has not broken before while an end thereof was drawn, the other end being held stationary. As a matter of fact, a very large force has to be applied to the former end for tensioning purpose, although one does not succeed in bringing the wire in sufciently close contact with the sleeper in the neighbourhood of the hoop stationary end, for the tensioning force exerted on the former end, whatever great it may be, is not transmitted substantially beyond the third elbow or angle of the wire.

We have made protracted studies to find out the causes of failure in using big round wire, and it is an object of this invention to provide a hooping method -which removes said causes.

Our method comprises the following features which may be used separately or better in combination:

f l. Before placing the hoop on the sleeper, said hoop is approximately pre-shaped to t roughly along a part of the outline of the sleeper crosssection, preferably one half thereof.

2. After the hoop has been placed around the sleeper and both ends thereof have been brought into adjacent positions, a gradual traction force is exerted alternately on one and the other end,

2 then when an end oiers substantially more resistance than the other end, tensioning is completed by pulling only the last named` end.

3. In order to knot, twist or hook the hoop ends together, the hoop is held fast at a distance from its ends, so as altogether to relieve said ends from the ltension in the hoop.

4. With a view to avoiding risks of breaking when twisting or splicing the ends together, we previously shape an end as :a hook or loop, or we provide it with a strap or like hooking member, and we fasten the other end thereto, for instance by bending or spirally winding it, or else by simply engaging it into the hooking member, the process involving action on said end only or at least avoiding any simultaneous distortion of both wire ends together.

The object of the present invention is a portable apparatus enabling to hook definitely sleepers in a convenient, rapid and reliable many ner. A feature of the apparatus is the combination of means for compressing sleepers with hoop tensioning means which up to this ltime have been incorporated in separate apparatus. The

-` apparatus also comprises means adapted to make-up for torsional stresses on the threaded shaft, developed while the sleeper is being compressed by jaws, and means for alternately operating dogs in :which the hoop is held at a distance from its ends.

This invention, however, may be best understood by the following description and accompanying drawings, given solely by way of example, wherein:

Figs. l and 2 are an elevation and a plan .view of an apparatus according to the invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken along lines `lII--III and IV-IV in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 isa fragmentary section taken along line V-V in'Fig. 3. s

The portable apparatus illustrated. in the drawings comprises means for: l

(l) Compressing the sleeper 2,

(2) Stretching the hoop around the sleeper. l

This apparatus comprises a longitudinally arranged frame 3 which is a hollow beam having a stationary jaw 4 secured at one of its ends. Parallel to frame 3 and supported in a stationary position by stationary jaw 4 and a bracket 'I fast with the frame member isa threaded shaft 6 along which a movable jaw 5 can slide. Jaw 5 is moved by a rotary nut 68 the outer face of which has ratchet teeth engaged by a pawl 29; the latter is borne on a lever 5D Iwhich is supported for pivotal movement about shaft 6 by a 3 strap 6| between the legs of which the nut 68 is located. The combination forms a, pawl mechanism of usual type in known jacks. By moving lever 56' to and fro the sleeper is gradually squeezed between stationary jaw 4 and movable jaw 5.

In order to make up for bending stress set up in threaded shaft 6 Iby jaw 5, the lower end of which exerts a pressure on sleeper 2, said jaw is fast at its upper end with an arm 62 parallel to the frame member 3 onto which it rests through its free end provided with a roller 33 which rolls on said frame member (Figs. l, 2 and 4). The angle member 5, 62 is stiifened by means of a gusset 34 or a strut.

The foregoing combination mayl still be strengthened by means of a second arm 62a fast with jaw 5 and applied through a roller 33a on the lower face of the frame member on the side opposite to arm 62; the pressure on the roller 33 is thus released to a certain extent.

The thread on shaft 6 which cooperates with nut 68 extends to about half way between the jaws 4-5 and engages a nut 36 whose face opposite jaw 4 is castellated. The remainder of shaft '6 is threaded with the same pitch but in opposite direction and likewise bears a nut 31, of which the face opposite nut 36 is also castellated. Between nuts 36, 31 is a sleeve 46 castellated on both vertical faces thereof, and adapted freely to slide and turn on shaft 6; the sleeve behaves as the ratchet wheel of a small pawl of known mechanism. By means of the pawl control lever 4|, the sleeve 46 may be caused to engage either nut 36 or nut 31 as a clutch, and any one of the nuts may be moved in turn along threaded shaft 6.

Mounted on each one of nuts 36, 31 for free rotation but prevented from sliding with respect thereto (Fig. 2) is a, dog 5|, 52, respectively comprising a stationary jaw 53 (Figs. 3 and 5) and a movable jaw 54 pivotally mounted by means of a vertical pin 55, guided by a tongue 56 in a notch in the dog and provided with an operating handle 51.

InV order to stretch the hoop I, it is engaged in the neighbourhood of its ends between the jaws 53 and 54 of dogs 5|, 52, the gripping surfaces of the jaws being so positioned as to become self-locked more and more rmly on the hoop as the hoop tension increases.

When the hooping apparatus is placed on the sleeper 2 and the latter is definitely compressed between jaws 4, 5, a string is clamped by means of dog 52 at a position corresponding to that of the, hoopv to be stretched; this string is applied along the outline ofthe sleeper down to its lower edge 39 and the length of the string is noted. This length is transferred to the hoop which is bent at right angles at the corresponding point.

By means of sleeve 46 operated by the pawl lever 4|, dogs 5| and 52 are moved towards one another by alternately turning nuts 36 and 31, then only one of them when the tension of the portion of the hoop corresponding to the other nut is suiiicient as indicated by considerable resistance to traction.

When tensioning of hoop is ended, thehoop is left in the grip of dogs and both ends of the hoop are knotted or assembled together. This may be made by hand or preferably by means of a tube which may be secured to an end of removable lever 4|. Instead of using a string, one may measure the length of broken line 35, 39 di- 4 rectly with the straight hoop which is swung along the outline of the sleeper.

It should be understood that without departing from the spirit of this invention, alterations may be brought about in the embodiments above described. Particularly, our apparatus may be used for any manner of assembling for instance by simply twisting together the ends of the hoop. Electric welding or other welding may be used l for assembling; in this connection, it should be remarked that assembling by means of welding alone has been impossible with the hoop tensioning processes known at present.

What we claim is:

l'. An apparatus for hooping a railway sleeper comprising a, frame, a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel jaws to engage the said sleeper therebetween, supported from, and relatively movable along said frame, a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel gripping members movably supported from said frame and adapted to engage spaced portions of the wire to thereby move the said parts of the wire portions towards one another to form a hoop about the sleeper, means for relatively moving said jaws along said frame, and means for independently moving said gripping members along said frame.

2. An apparatus for hooping a railway sleeper comprising a frame, a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel jaws to engage the said sleeper therebetween, supported from, and relatively movable along said frame, a stationary threaded shaft comprising two portions which are oppositely threaded, fast with said frame and parallel to it, a nut on each threaded shaft portion, a pair of spaced apart gripping members, rotatably and non-slidably supported by said nuts and adapted to engage spaced portions of the wire to thereby move the said parts of the wire portions towards one another to form a hoop about the sleeper, and means for rotating said nuts.

3. An apparatus for hooping a railway sleeper comprising a frame, a stationary jaw fast with said frame, a stationary threaded shaft comprising two portions which are oppositely threaded, fast with said frame and parallel to it, a movable jaw spaced apart from said stationary jaw and arranged parallel to it to engage said sleeper therebetween, means including a nut on said shaft for moving and rotatably supporting said movable jaw, a nut on each threaded shaft portion, a pair of spaced apart gripping members, rotatably and non-slidably supported by said second mentioned nuts and adapted to engage spaced portions of the wire to thereby move the said parts of the wire portions towards one another to form a hoop about the sleeper, and means for rotating said second mentioned nuts,

4. An apparatus for hooping a railway sleeper comprising a frame, a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel jaws to engage the said sleeper therebetween, supported from, and relatively movable along said frame, means for relatively moving said jaws along said frame, a stationary threaded shaft comprising two portions which are oppositely threaded, fast with said frame and parallel to it, a nut on each threaded shaft portion, a pair of gripping members corresponding to said nuts and adapted to engage spaced portions of the wire to thereby move the said parts of the wire portions towards one another to form a hoop about the sleeper, means including a collar around said nut adapted to prevent relative axial displacement, for supporting said gripping member from said nut, and a nut control sleeve, slidably carried on said shaft between said nuts, and having end sides adapted for rotary control engagement with either of said nuts when shifted into contact therewith.

5. An apparatus for hooping a railway sleeper comprising an elongated frame, a stationary threaded shaft comprising two portions which are oppositely threaded, fast with said frame and parallel to it, a stationary jaw fast with and perpendicular to said frame, a movable jaw spaced apart from said stationary jaw, arranged parallel to it, and slidably mounted on said shaft for engaging the said sleeper therebetween, a rigid arm fast with said latter jaw positioned along said frame, means on said arm located remote from the jaw, providing a supporting point for said arm on said frame, means including a rotatable nut operatively engaged on said shaft for moving said movable jaw along said frame, a nut on each threaded shaft portion, a pair of spaced apart gripping members rotatably and non-slidably supported by said second mentioned nuts and adapted to engage spaced portions of the wire to thereby move the'said parts of the wire portions towards one another to form a hoop about the sleeper, and means for rotating said second mentioned nuts.

6. An apparatus for hooping a railway sleeper comprising an elongated frame, a stationary threaded shaft comprising two portions which are oppositely threaded, fast with said. frame and parallel to it, a stationary jaw fast with and perpendicular to said frame, a movable jaw spaced apart from said stationary jaw, arranged parallel to it, and slidably mounted on said shaft for engaging the said sleeper therebetween, a rigid arm fast with said latter jaw positioned along said frame, means on said arm including a roller rotatably mounted on said arm remote from the jaw, to roll on said frame, means including a rotatable nut operatively engaged on said shaft for moving said movable jaw along said frame, a nut on each threaded shaft portion, a pair of spaced apart gripping members rotatably and non-slidably supported by said second mentioned nuts and adapted to engage spaced portions of the wire to thereby move the said parts of the wire portions towards one another to form a hoop about the sleeper, and means for rotating said second mentioned nuts.

' ing a supporting point forsaid arm on said frame,

means including a rotatablenut operatively engaged on said shaft for moving said movable jaw along said frame, a nut ongf'each threaded shaft.

portion, a pair of spaced .apart gripping members rotatably and non-slidablysupported by said second mentioned nuts and adapted to engage spaced portions of the wireto thereby move the said parts of the wire portions towards one another to form a hoop about'the sleeper, means including a collar around each of said second mentioned nuts adapted to prevent relative axial displacement of, and for supporting, said gripping members from said nuts, and a nut control sleeve, slidably carried on said shaft between said second mentioned nuts, and having end sides adapted for rotary control engagement with either of said second mentioned nuts when shifted into contact therewith.

ALBERT PAUL STREIT. MICHEL JACQUES MAX STREIT.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 301,064 Mereweather June 24, 1884 364,985 Brock June 14, 1887 397,262 Williams Feb. 5, 1889 906,584 Trautman et al Dec. 15, 1908 1,162,675 Bates Nov. 30, 1915 1,975,110 Louckes Oct. 2, 1934 1,980,503 Rowe Nov. 13, 1934 2,023,743 Planeta Dec. 10, 1935 

